George Bernard Shaw makes Pygmalion an excellent example of feminist criticism in a piece of literature. Throughout the play, we see male dominance over the females. He depicted how being a lady during the Victorian era changed how you were treated, and women were to act a certain way–the stereotypical lady-like way. In the play, men were dominant over Eliza. Thus, changing her and her way of living making her dependent on them. Although most readers see George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion as a critique of 18th-century class structure, rereading the play with a feminist lens allows readers to see that it is also about the perverse expectations and the conflicting and oppressive views about the role of women.
In Act V, Eliza voices Higgins hurt her because he wouldn’t care for her after all she does for him. Higgins says that he “[thinks] a woman fetching a man’s slippers is a disgusting sight… No use slaving for [him] and then saying [she wants] to be cared for: who cares for a slave?” Offended, he asks how dare she carry slippers after he made a duchess out of her. In Higgins’ head, A girl that collects someone else’s slippers, or “slaves” away for another isn’t regarded as a respectable girl. He believed that a girl worthy of his respect is quite simply: a duchess. Which is interesting considering, the lifestyle of a duchess. They are provided no quality education or taught to work and provide for themselves. Girls were expected to wear the most up to date fashion. They must talk correctly, walk correctly, and sip their tea correctly. All this hard work- for a man. And if she refuses, she will be denied acceptance from high society members. Higgins is not a stranger to a contradiction. He is disgusted by Liza fetching his slippers and yet molds her to fit into a high society where women marry off then fetch her husband’s slippers- the exact same thing. To Higgins, that is the life a respectable girl lives.
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Shaw’s play was drawn from the myth of Pygmalion. These two narratives show how unrealistic and even unnatural the expectations that society often has for women are. Pygmalion’s perfect woman can only be attained with an artificial construct. Similarly, the ideal noble lady of British society is only a role to play. Pygmalion shows how oppressive these unrealistic ideals of femininity can be: to attain these ideals, Eliza must be coached, disciplined, and taught. She must pretend to be someone other than who she is-like Clara. According to Clara, in the sequel, she had “to muster all instinct’s that make her human to fit into the society she was born in”.
Towards the end, Eliza showed the ability to be independent. She is capable of finding some success on her own. The play ends with the roles reversed and the men needing Eliza. But ultimately, Eliza cannot escape the constraints of the oppressive Victorian society. She tells Higgins that she desires independence, but we never see her actually obtain her independence in the play. At the end of the play, Eliza must choose between living with Higgins, living with her father, or marrying Freddy. In all cases, her future will continue to remain under control of a man. Eliza is greatly transformed over the course of the play, but it would take even greater transformations of society itself for women to have real independence.
Starry Night Painting Anlysis
Vincent van Gogh was a post-impressionist artist. Van Gogh sought refuge from severe depression at the Saint-Paul asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. In 1889, while looking out a window, he became inspired to paint Starry Night. He wrote this to his brother Theo, “This morning I saw the countryside from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big.” (Unknown, Starry Night n.d.) van Gogh was not content to just paint an imitation of the world, he wanted to recreate the emotions experienced while viewing it. (Lewis and Lewis 2014) van Gogh used his memory of that morning and the emotion it provoked combined with his imagination to form a masterpiece.
Starry night is a moderately sized oil on canvas painting depicting a brilliant star filled sky over a small village. In the foreground there is a large dark cypress tree that towers into the sky. The tranquil village is seen as if from a hilltop with dark blue mountains surrounding it. There is a church in the center of the village with a tall steeple. The composition is structured by van Gogh’s ordered placement of the cypress, steeple, and central nebulae. (Unknown, Starry Night n.d.) He uses short, fast brush strokes and impasto to generate the swirling pattern of the sky producing a sense of movement. The night sky with the moon and the stars makes up three quarters of what is shown on the canvas. The dark browns and blues used for the mountains, village and sky produce a stark contrast with the bright yellows and greens that portray the moon and stars.
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There are various interpretations of Starry Night. Some feel that this canvas depicts hope, and that maybe van Gogh had found victory over his deep depression. Van Gogh believed that death represented the vehicle that would transport him to the heavens (Unknown, Starry Night n.d.) so maybe he meant for the sky to be seen as a passageway. He also knew that in death he would be at peace and further portrays this by employing bold colors in the painting. (Unknown, Starry Night Analysis n.d.) Starry Night stirs up conflicting emotions. The village seems to be at peace while the sky is alive with motion. It is as if the light of the moon and the stars is at war with the darkness of the night. They seem equally formidable and there is no apparent sense of which one will overpower the other. The sky seems more like a river through the heavens than just the backdrop for the stars.
Starry Night is considered one of the most complex and beautiful paintings of all time. Van Goghuses the elements to capture the viewer’s attention. In a room full of paintings, Starry Night will stand out. At the time of its creation, it was considered different from the other post-impressionist art. Van Gogh’s work was not genuinely appreciated until after his death.
Vincent van Gogh’s emotional distress can be seen and felt in his work. Starry Night is innately unbalanced, and very dynamic. Van Gough helped pave the way for modern expressionism. Viewers may debate the purpose and meaning of this piece however, it is well established that Starry Night is one of the greatest pieces of art ever created.
